Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-17
CLARK COUNTY'S INFANCY.
An Intensely Interesting Chapter of Early
History The Ways of Our FOrefa-
theirs Oharmingly Described.
Prim"yh sugar Camps - The Harri-on
Campaign and the great Thunderstorm
Early Educational Facilities-Don-
neisviiIe and Its Career.
ny :. :. NII.LER.

Joanna. was born in Wales IN 152, and in
early life came to New jersey. attended
school and graduated at Princeton college.
In tina; region he became acquainted with
Catharine Stout, to whom he was married
in lTI6, she bein. Is years old. They af-
terward jOurneyed 10 the south and settled
in Georgia, where he was minister and ply
sician. After seeing the workings of Slav-
cry, concluded he would not raise his fami-
ly in slave state, and the northwest terri
tory being dedicated to freedom, he decided
10 take his wife and children and seek a
home in the wilderness. In moving they
carried their househn!d goods on pack
horses. The mother carried three small
children on her horse, one IN her arms, and
the TWINS in baskets tied together and
placed before her. Some of the streams
were so deep that the mother had To raise
the baskets 10 keep the children ont of the
water
After stopping while in Kentucky, they
crossed the Ohio river i'll 1889 and located
on Duck cIeek. near the block house station
of Columbia. Rev. Peter Smith and fami-
ly We're numbered among the first settlers OF
that StatiOn-the second settlement in Ohio.
Stephen GanO organized Baptist church AT
Columbia, and Peter became the tirst pas
tor, He also taught school and practiced
medicine. Mrs. Keifer. the mother of Gen
pral Keller, went TO his school when he
taught in Columbia. The sons, Ira, Sam
uel and Abram. were old enough to clear
g. .,l, 60.
Indians. ON one occasion, when Rev. Peter
visited COlerain station, on the Big Miami,
he saw young maid who he thought would
make his son Samuel a good wife After
returning home he told his son of the girl,
and an acquaintance was made that IT.
suited in the marriage of Samuel Smith to
the girl, whose name was Elizabeth Me
CIeaye. August - 1901. These were the
parents of Joanna. The McCleayeS came
| to C0lcrain about the year 1890. Elzabeth'S
| fathers name was Benjamin. Her mother
died when Elizabeth was young, and she
was left Ia keep house for her father and
| brothers.
| In 1921. several hundred Indians,
led by Simon Girty, beseiged the garrison.
| rhe ammunition getting scarce, their Situa-
| ton was very gloOmy-aS the firing of the
| inmates Stacked up the Indians &c Ime
| bOlder and yelled hideuuSly. One Of the
| garrison who bad always been called a fool
| for his raShness. concluded TO make a sOrtie
on his own responsibility, and opened the
gate. swinging his hat, said. come on
| boys" which frightened Indians 80 that
/ they lied. A rescung party was on the
way from Fort Washington; but when they
arrived no red men were TO be found. The
women and children-JoannaSS mother be-
| ing one of them-mOulded the bullets while
! the men Were shooting.
| In 1895 the Smiths moved 10 their land
on Donners creek. The Rev. Peter Smith
had his home on what is now the Hardacre
| and Brandenburg farms; his son Abram the
present site Of DOnnelsvilie; his daughter
| Nancy, Mrs. Johns. the Daniel FroSs farm,
and Samuel built his cabin one-half mile
northeast of the forks Of the Creek-in all
three half sections. 1t is worthy of note Ia
record the pr0mptness with which the pio-
| neerS generally. in this section. secured tOr
! themselves and children better tenements
! than the primitive cabin. Samuel Smith
erected a commodiou, story and half hew-
| ed log IN 1911 la 1888 he built seven-rOOm
! brick with IA large porch, which is still there
| and occupied by the tenaut of that part of
! the farm. now ewned bv Rev. G. Stroud,
! bl ''illt- l.lht lub~l lbiNtN
built while the county was new, il
has lonely situation, away from any pub
| lie road. yet in the first three decades Ut
this century il was busy hive Of industry,
of religious meetings, parties, weddings,
| intairS. aud neIghborly yIsitS--a sort OF
social headquarters on account of the size
and hospitality of the family. The spring,
walled with boulders at the foot of the hill,
, the old milk house. the crooked lane that
led TO the creek. and the old los-t arm of
1875 are still there-reminderS OF tie. long
ago. \ noted poplar grove run through the
south part and continued eastwardly through
the keifer tract Ii was probably the track
of an ancient tornado. The poplar being
the queen of forest trees from its stately
trunk. beautiful leaf and tulip flower, was
a splendid sight, and il seems shameful 10
Us 10 burn them in a log heap: but our
fOretathers tell us they had no Use for 80
many and no market for them.
As to roads. the bride path and the In
dian trail answered the purpose Of the piO-
neer until near the close OF the second de-
cade. The big road. as it was called, was
cut out from Monroe tafterward New Car
liSle) 10 Springfield in 1917 or is, and the
Boston and Stanton, Miami county, about
the same time. These rnadS run on the
same track through the Smith farm and sep
arated about mile west of the forks of
the creek. The National road also run
through the southeast corner of the farm.
Tne clearing of the roadway. digging out
the Stumps, building culverts and bridges,
we're done along here in IS and 4. The
Smiths boarded some hands at $3.50 per
week. The road ran against a steep hill a
shOrt distance west Of DOnnelisviile, and
against another on the west bank ot the
Big Miami. and as there was no grading
done west of the western line of Springfield
township, that part the road could not
be used for travel until private companies
graded and graveled il. which was some
twenty years afterward.
Considerable animo>ity was manifested
in that section against the contractors Gull
ing the the incest timber for bridges without
paying-a slick-handei game was played
upon the farmers by which they were caught
in granting right to use certain materials.
The complaints against the United States
government for leaving the road in that
condition were also very bitter. Much eff
fort was made tO secure an appropriation
foT its completion. but without success.
The party in power knocked all internal
improvements in the head with a sledge,
knocked the coon several times. to be sure
il was dead.
Previous 10 filling the gorge near the
present residence of Colonel SintZ, the di-
rect road to Sprin. field from the west ran
down a rocky ravine, almost impossible To
get load up or get one down with safety.
The farmers used to 20 north and strike
the old Troy road to avoid it. Mr.. Isaac
Miller living north OF Springfield, whose
memory goes back previous To the EOS.
thinks there was no bridge across Mad river
before ISIS. He remembers his father
telling his boys to fell >ome trees across
Buck creek. 30 that they could get to the
village of Springfield when the water WAS
too high TO ford. At the time the Smiths
came to DOnnei'S creek. there was consider
able anxiety lest the Indians should again
become hostile. In some places more In
dams could be seen than white people.
Tccumseh and his brother, the Prophet, who
predicted the great eclipse OF the
sun in 1905. were in Greenville,
not far away. and seemed TO be gathering
4